"I didn't, I didn't, don't talk nonsense!"
After the main meeting, smaller ones followed.
When Gao Shen gathered privately with his friends, he firmly denied it three times, insisting he had absolutely no intention of promoting Leeds United players. Besides, he had no plans to sell them.
Of course, if someone insisted on poaching them, that was another matter altogether.
Gao Shen truly regarded Haaland as a future superstar center forward and held high hopes for him.
If his prediction came true, Haaland could lead Leeds United's resurgence and even help solidify the club's place in European football. Wouldn't that be more valuable than selling him for profit?
"If you insist on saying I'm pushing my own agenda, then blame it on the Tactical Salon," Gao Shen admitted.
At the end of his speech, he had mentioned he was considering organizing a gathering for head coaches.
The UEFA Elite Coaches Summit was mainly for managers of Champions League-participating clubs. The reason coaches like Gao Shen, Ferguson, and Wenger were invited was due to their exceptionally high status.
Ferguson and Wenger both held positions within UEFA and FIFA, respectively.
But the tactical salon that Gao Shen was planning would invite well-known coaches and tactical experts to discuss and explore the current state and future trends of football tactics. It would be a platform for open dialogue and mutual learning.
Unlike events run by UEFA or national federations, this kind of gathering would be informal, allowing participants to speak freely.
Currently, nothing like this exists.
This, in itself, reflected how little influence head coaches had in the industry.
Gao Shen had previously mentioned the idea to Ferguson and Wenger and had also discussed it with longtime friends like Guardiola and Ancelotti. Everyone agreed it would be beneficial to have such a platform for communication and learning.
Experience had long proven that working in isolation wasn't the solution.
Not just for head coaches, even within clubs there were fewer conflicts than outsiders imagined.
Take Liverpool and Manchester United, for example. They seem like bitter enemies, right?
And back when Real Madrid and Barcelona were at each other's throats, with Mourinho almost gouging out Vilanova's eye, the hostility was palpable.
But the reality?
The management of Real Madrid and Barcelona have always had a good relationship, far removed from the perception of fans.
This was the difference between supporters and club executives.
What do owners care about?
The rivalry between Spain's two giants fuels the football market. But when it comes to market development, Real Madrid and Barcelona often work together or coordinate behind the scenes.
The players, however, shoulder the brunt of this rivalry on the pitch, giving everything to defeat their opponents in each match.
So at the Premier League's preseason summit, the owners of all 20 clubs didn't talk about who would win the title or who could make the Champions League. No one made bold tactical declarations or rivalrous statements.
They discussed market expansion, how globalization efforts were progressing, and projected revenue based on current trends.
Championships?
Honestly, many clubs don't even consider it.
Some teams, after finally earning promotion to the Premier League, are essentially signaling through their actions that they're ready to be relegated.
Why?
A single season in the Premier League maximizes financial gain.
That's tens of millions of pounds.
Only fans, players, and head coaches concern themselves with wins, losses, and silverware.
Owners only care about profits.
History has shown time and again that champions often don't make money.
Want to win the league and make a profit?
What do you think you are, running a club like Leeds United?
Because of this, especially in the past two years, countless investment firms and consortiums have tried to acquire Leeds United.
The two major banks in the City of London that specialize in football-related business are practically preparing to relocate their headquarters to Leeds.
What Gao Shen is concerned with now isn't whether Leeds United wins the title. He's content as long as they stay in the top four.
His main focus is promoting his business ventures.
...
There wasn't much publicly available information about the UEFA Elite Coaches Summit. Only those involved in professional European football knew about it. The tactical salon initiated by Gao Shen, Ferguson, and Wenger was strictly invitation-only.
Given their reputation and status in the game, receiving an invite was seen as a great honor.
After attending the main and side meetings in Nyon, Switzerland, Gao Shen returned to Cheshire and took a short break.
As the two-week international break ended, his team got busy again.
First, there was the impact of the international fixtures, and then came the tight domestic schedules.
Over more than half a year, Gao Shen had established functioning operational systems at both Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. After the start of the new season, he repeatedly optimized and adjusted them until they were functioning smoothly.
Gao Shen had a professional team around him handling the day-to-day work, so he was actually much more relaxed.
As a manager, his primary focus was managing the big picture.
Once the players returned from international duty and had a brief rest, they immediately dove back into a packed schedule.
In La Liga, Real Madrid hosted Levante and cruised to a 3-0 victory, marking their fourth straight win to start the season.
In Ligue 1, PSG beat Strasbourg 2-0, securing their fifth consecutive league win.
Both teams won comfortably, owing to their sheer strength.
However, things were different in the Premier League, where Leeds United faced a stern test in the fifth round against Manchester City.
Though Guardiola's side hadn't been as impressive as Leeds this season, their overall squad strength far outstripped the White Roses' youthful lineup. As a result, most pundits expected Leeds' winning run to end.
But to everyone's surprise, right from kickoff at the Amazon Stadium, Leeds created a corner opportunity from the right flank with Sancho and Ashraf combining effectively.
Bruno Fernandes swung in the corner, and veteran José Fonte powered home a header at the near post to give Leeds the lead.
The experienced Portuguese defender proved his value at a crucial moment.
This goal threw Manchester City off rhythm.
Leeds' young players seized the momentum and launched a furious high press, disrupting City's build-up play. Stones was pressured into a mistake, and Sancho pounced, dribbling into the right side of the box before crossing.
Vardy finished cleanly from the middle, doubling the lead to 2-0!
The Amazon Stadium erupted.
Nobody had expected Leeds to be two goals up in the first half. It was almost surreal.
Guardiola looked stunned on the sidelines, unable to believe what he was witnessing.
And just when it looked like Leeds were poised to blow the game wide open, especially after another counterattack hit the post and a few more threatening attempts, it felt like the White Roses were on course for a statement win.
Sky Sports commentator Martin Taylor even remarked that unless Guardiola turned things around at halftime, this could become a humiliating defeat.
A complete collapse.
Leeds United's young players had come out firing.
But at the start of the second half, David Silva delivered a pinpoint cross from the left, and Harry Kane rose highest to head it in. Manchester City pulled one back within the opening minute.
Leeds' players had clearly let their guard down.
Four minutes later, another David Silva cross was met by Rodri, who had surged forward late and fired a powerful shot from outside the right side of the D, smashing through Leeds' defense.
2-2.
It was level again.
The entire Amazon Stadium fell silent.
What a dramatic turnaround.
After dominating the first half, Leeds were stunned by Manchester City's rapid response early in the second.
Pochettino shouted instructions from the sidelines, urging his players to stay calm.
But Leeds United had already lost their composure. Manchester City took control and began dominating possession.
After the two quick goals, Guardiola didn't ease off. Instead, he kept up the pressure and made several substitutions.
In the 73rd minute, he subbed on Mahrez and Suarez for David Silva and De Bruyne, boosting the attack further in an attempt to pin Leeds back and finish the job.
Leeds responded in the 75th minute, bringing on Haaland for Vardy, focusing on launching counter-attacks.
...
Time continued ticking away.
On the pitch, Leeds were pinned deep and struggling.
Manchester City, smelling blood, attacked relentlessly.
Guardiola's final substitutions seemed somewhat reckless.
Clearly, he was furious.
Gao Shen, seated in the stands, quietly observed.
After conceding the two goals, Leeds United's emotionally charged players slowly settled down.
They all knew exactly who they were facing—Manchester City.
But the situation remained precarious.
Leeds had only 32% possession for the match, a clear sign of how overwhelmed they were.
On the bright side, their defensive line remained intact.
Time kept moving. 85... 86... 87... 88...
It felt like an eternity.
By now, many Leeds fans in the stadium had accepted a draw. They would gladly take the point.
Some even began to pray.
Then, Benjamin Mendy tried to dribble past the halfway line on the left, attempting a one-two with a teammate. But Leeds' Calvin Phillips, Achraf Hakimi, and Bruno Fernandes quickly swarmed that flank.
Calvin Phillips intercepted the ball and immediately passed to Bruno Fernandes.
The Portuguese playmaker pushed forward, scanned ahead, and launched a through ball down the right channel.
Sancho and Haaland both broke forward on the right.
Initially, Haaland chased the ball, but seeing Sancho in a better position, he pulled wide to avoid Kompany, then suddenly cut inside and sprinted in behind.
"Leeds United with a lightning-fast counter!"
"Sancho catches up to the ball and breaks into the right side of the box. He's surrounded by three defenders."
"He cuts it across!"
"Wide open!"
"Haaland!"
Goal.
"At the death, Haaland scores to make it 3-2!"
"Leeds United snatch victory over Manchester City in the final minute!"
The Amazon Stadium exploded with noise. Fans were on their feet, roaring with joy.
(To be continued.)